Loose-leaf device



J. KAHN.

LOOSE LEAF DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1920.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- J. KAHN.

LOOSE LEAF DEVICE.

APPLICATION man NOV. 4, 1920.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jwmwm Josephjfiaiua E I Patented Dec, 12, 1922.

Uhll

JOSEPH KAHN, 0F CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF DEVICE.

Application filed November 4, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrri KAHN, a cltizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in loose-leaf devices, and more particularly that class of loose leaf devices ordinarily known as loose leaf ledgers, binders, and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide a more simple and less expensive method for locking or binding the parts of the loose leaf device together, and to thereby reduce the cost of manufacture of articles of this character.

The invention pertains especially to that class of loose leaf devices in which a plurality of posts or metallic rods are mounted upon one of the separable cover members, to which the contents of the device, together with the other cover member are connected by means of slots or notches, which engage the posts and are fastened thereto by means of a locking member or members slidably mounted on said posts.

The features of the invention are hereinafter set forth more in detail, and in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of loose leaf device, and illustrating the method employed for locking the parts to gether, and the locking member employed for that purpose,

Fig. 2is an enlarged detailed view in cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Fig. 2 a detailed view taken on line 2 -2 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a rear view part1 y in longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a loose leaf device showing a modified arrangement of the locking parts whereby a single locking member is employed,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed view partly in cross-section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4, and showing a modified type of locking member in elevation,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view in vertical section taken on line 616 of Figure 5, and showing the construction of the looking member disclosed in Figures 4 and 5,

Serial No. 421,630.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the lock- 111 member illustrated in Figure 6, and

1g. 8 1s a top plan View of a portion of the top cover member shown in Figure 4: and illustrating the formation of the looking notch co-acting with the intermediate post.

The device illustrated in Figure 1 may represent a loose leaf ledger or similar binder, comprising a bottom cover member 1, a corresponding top cover member 2 between which are retained. the sheets of paper or leaves 3. As is common in-loose leaf devices, the cover members are made of relatively stiff material, and in the various ways known in the book making art, these cover members being provided along corresponding edges with relatively stiff and nonyielding rails t and 5 respectively, these rails being preferably composed of metallic strips 6 and 7 which are covered with eather or other suitable binding material, such binding material extending beyond and overlapping the adjacent main portions of the cover members 1 and 2, and forming a flexible connection or hinge therebetween, as at 8.

Secured to the rail 4 of the bottom cover member 1 are vertical rods or posts 99, extending at right angles to the cover mem bers, and of sufficient length to permit considerable expansion or increase in the thickness of the contents of the binder. As shown in Figure 2, the lower ends of the posts are rigidly fixed to the rails by means of screws inserted into the ends of the posts from the under side of the rails, although any other suitable means may be employed. Formed in the rail 5 of the upper cover member '2, and likewise in each of the leaves 3 of the binder are slots or notches 10-.10 extending inwardly from the edge of the rail, these slots having a width substantially equal to the diameter of the posts 99. The inner extremity of each slot is enlarged by the formation of an annular recess 11 considerably greater in diameter than that of the post, said recess connecting with the narrower portions of the slots.

Slidably mounted upon each of the posts 9+ -9 is 'a locking member 12 comprising a. tubular sleeve having a rounded upper extremity'and provided at its lower end with a reduced end or neck portion 13, having a diameter less than that of the main body of the locking member, and substantially equal to the annular recess 11 formed at the inner end of the slot 10 in the rail 5. Mounted in the body of the locking member 12 is a set screw 1 f adapted to bear against the post 9 at its inner end when said screw is turned by means of its milled head in a direction to force the screw against the post. As a preferable method of inserting the screw 14, a hole is drilled through the body of the locking member from the oppo site side for the purpose of counter-boring the inner end of the tapped bore for the set screw. In this way it is possible to upset the inner end of the set screw so that the same cannot be entirely removed from the body of the locking member.

As clearly shown in Figure 3, the locking of the cover members together is accomplished by sliding the locking members 12-12 downwardly along the posts 9-9 until the reduced neck portions 13-13 enter the annular recesses in the upper rail 5, and then tightening the screws 14:. In this way the parts are securely bound together, inasmuch as the upper cover member is locked to the posts 9-9 through the medium of the recesses and the neck portions 13-13, it being manifest that the upper cover member can neither be moved upwardly, nor can the same be moved laterally, inasmuch as the neck portions 13-13 cannot pass through the narrower portions of the slots 10-10. It is only by sliding the locking members upwardly on the post, as is shown on the right in Figure 3, that the upper cover member can be removed and the contents 3 of the binder released.

In Figure 4 is illustrated a modification of the locking mechanism already described,

the device comprising, as before, a lower cover member 1 and upper cover member 2, the contents or leaves 8, the rails 4: and 5 of the lower and upper cover members respectively, all made as hereinbefore set forth. In place of two posts each being provided with a separate locking member, I provide three posts 16 spaced apart along the rails 4 and 5 and connected to the lower rail 1 in the same manner as before. In this instance, the intermediate post 16 can ries a single locking member 17 which may be similar in construction to the locking member 12 already described, although by preference I employ a spring actuated locking member hereinafter to be described in detail. Formed in the edges of the upper rail 5 are transversely extending slots as before, the slots 18-18 associated with the outermost posts 16-16 being substantially of uniform width throughout their entire length, this transverse dimension being substantially equal to the diameter of the posts 16-16 so that the two parts may be snugly engaged and with little or no lost motion.

The slot 19 (Figure 8) associated with the intermediate post 16, differs from the other slots 18 in that it is provided. at its inner end with a rectangular or square recess 20 which communicates at its forward edge with the narrow slot 19. The recess 20 is greater in length and width than the width of the slot 19, and is adapted to be engaged by a similarly shaped projection or end portion 21 formed at the lower end of the locking member 17. The square end portion 21 is reduced with respect to the diameter of the body of the locking member 17, and serves the same purpose as the cylindric neck portion 13 of the locking member hereinbefore described. By reason, however, of its rectangular shape, it performs an ad ditional function; namely, that of resisting the rotative movement of the upper cover member about the intermediate post 16. Manifestly, in manufacturing these devices, there is some degree of relative movement between the parts, and in a construction wherein three posts are employed with only a single locking member, it is clear that there would be a certain degree of movement between the cover members in the nature of a rotation about the intermediate post 16 in the absence of means for opposing this movement. Therefore. assuming that the locking member 17 may be non-rotatively locked to the post 16, and its squared end inserted in the similarly shaped recess 20, the tendency for the upper cover member to rotate or to be moved out of align ment with the lower cover member, is en tirely eliminated, with the result that the single locking member performs the same duties as a plurality of locking members, mounted on each separate post 16.

The locking member 17 disclosed in connection with the modified arrangement shown in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive is constructed in the following manner: The body of the locking member comprises a cylindric casing or sleeve 22 having a rectangular end portion 21 hereinbefore described, formed integral therewith. Extending into the casing from upper end is a sleeve 23 provided at its lower end with a conical shaped cage 24 carrying ball clutch members 25. The upper end of the casing 22 is closed by means of an annular plate 26, beyond which the tubular sleeve 23 projects. A head 27 is rigidly fixed to the projecting end of the tubular sleeve 23. Within the casing 22 and surrounding the tubular sleeve 23 is a spring 28, bearing'at its lower end against the cage 24. As clearly shown in Figure 6, the ball bearings engage the surface of the post 16, and also a downwardly and inwardly inclined cam surface 29 formed on the inside and at the lowerend of the casing 22. As shown in Figure 6, the parts are in looking position; that is to say,

the ball bearings 25 are forced inwardly against the post 16 by the combined action of the spring 28, and the cam surface 29. To release the locking member so that it may slide along the post 16, the tubular sleeve 23 is raised or moved upwardly rela tive to the casing 22 by grasping the head 27 and exerting an upward pull. By releasing the head 27, the spring automatically acts to force the tubular sleeve downwardly, thus throwing the balls 25 into frictional locking engagement with the post 16.

In both types of locking devices, I have provided a locking member which co-operates with a single post and independently of the remaining posts and associated looking members. In this way it is possible to utilize the same locking units in various sizes of loose leaf devices in which the distance separating the posts may be varied at will, as well as the number of posts employed. In other words, it is not necessary to provide a variety of locking devices for the different sizes of binder to be manufactured, as is ordinarily the case where a locking mechanism is associated with two or more posts, and operating mechanism is employed for operating the entire mechanism as a unit. Furthermore, the use of a neck portion or cylindric or rectangular end section adapted to engage a similarly shaped recess in the slotted cover member, provides a simple yet permanent connection between the parts, the covers not only being held together by the downward pressure exerted by the locking members, but are also held from detachment through the medium of the positive locking connection afiorded by the interfitting recesses and neck portions. An additional feature; namely, the rectangular shaped neck portion and correspondingly shaped recess, permits the use of a single locking member with a so-called three post binder, and successfully eliminates the lateral movement which otherwise would only be avoided by employing a separate locking member on each of the posts.

Although I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the features herein disclosed except as specifically pointed out in the appended claims I claim as my invention:

1 n a device of the character described,

the combination of separable cover members, a binding post mounted on one of said cover members, the otherhaving a slot in one edge thereof permitting the edgewise removal of the first-mentioned cover member, and a locking member slidably mounted on said post, and provided with a reduced end portion adapted to engage an enlarged and correspondingly shaped portion of said slot.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of separable cover members provided with rails of non-yieldable material along corresponding edges thereof, a plurality of posts mounted on one cover member and co-acting slots in the margin of the other cover member, one of said slots having an enlargement at its inner end, and a locking member slldably mounted on the post associated with said last mentioned slot, said locking member and slotted cover being provided with co-acting means to prevent their relative rotation about the associated post.

In a device of the character described, the combination of separable cover members, a plurality of posts mounted on one of said cover members, and spaced apart along one margin thereof, slots formed in the other cover member and adapted to snugly engage said posts, a locking member adapted to be slidably mounted on one of said posts and provided with a squared end portion, the slot of the associated post having a similarly shaped enlargement at the inner end, adapt ed to receive the squared end of said looking member.

4t. In a device of the character described, the combination of separable cover members, three posts mounted on one of said cover members, and spaced apart along one margin thereof, slots formed in the other cover member and adapted to snugly engage said posts, a locking member adapted to be slidably mounted on the intermediate post, and provided with a squared end portion, the slot of the associated post having a similarly shaped enlargement at the inner end, adapted to receive the squared end of said looking member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of November, A. D.,

JOSEPH KAHN. 

